Rotary snap switch



c. 0. PLATT. I ROTARY SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-30, 1919.

1 qg ga Patented Jan. 1@, 1922,,

CLARENCE D. PLATT, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ROTARY SNAP SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 111 1922.

Application filed June 30, 1919. Serial No. 307,741.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLARENCE D. PLATT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bridgeport, Connecticut, have mvented a new and useful Rotary snap swltch, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to switches of the rotary snap type and has reference more particularly to spring tensioning mechanism for such switches.

The objects of the invention are to provide simple, practical, and at the same time relatively inexpensive mechanism by which the switch-throwing spring may be properly tensioned, the invention having in mind the provision of this mechanism in such form that the switch may be readily tested and operated immediately after the principal parts are assembled and before the cover and turn-button are in place. This latter is an advantageous feature in that it permits inspection of the operation before the parts are covered and without waiting for the complete assembling of the switch.

Briefly, the invention residesin the combination with the switch parts including the spindle, rotary switch fpiece and throwing spring, of an abutment or the spring which is rotatably adjustable about the spindle for the purpose of tensioning the spring and which is held in its adjusted position by the engagement of co-operating locking shoulders on said abutment and on a transverse key which is secured fast on the spindle.

Other features of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing the invention is illustrated in different practical forms but it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modification without departure from the true spirit, and scope of the invention. f

In said drawing:

Fig. 1, is a plan view of the operative mechanism of a rotary snap switch'embodying the different features of the invention.

Fig. 2, is a broken side view of the spring tensioning mechanism.

Fig. 3', is .a similar view showing the spring abutment depressed out of engagement with the key member, as in the act of tensioning the spring. I

Fig. 4, is a broken perspective view of the several parts of the switch.

Fig' 5, is a-plan view and F g. 6, 1s a perspective view of a slightly modified detail of the invention.

1g. 6 is a perspective view of member 28 of Figs. 5 and 6.

T designates the switch base, which is of any suitable construction. On this base is mounted the spindle 8 and engaged on this spindle is the rotary switch piece 9. Said switch piece is provided in this particular ated by an eccentric 13 on the spindle and provided with a shoulder co-operating with suitable shoulders 14 provided by a ratchet fast on the base.

15 designates the switch-throwing spring coiled about the spindle and engagedover the sleeve 10, said spring being suitably engaged at its lower end with the switch piece for the purpose of propelling the same.

At its upper or outer end, the spring is held by an abutment member 16, in the nature of a disc or washer rotatable about the spindle and supported for this purpose in rotatable engagement with the upper end of the sleeve 10, it being provided as indicated at 17 in Fig. 4:, with a hole fitting over the end of the sleeve. This abutment memher is provided with a shoulder 18 on its v engagement in the notches 20 in the rim of the spring abutment.

he spring, as will be clear from Fi 2, thrusts .the spring abutment upward into engagement with the key member and serves thus to hold the interlocking shoulders of i with the out-standing lug it is simply spindle.

the two members normally engaged. To adjust the tension of the spring however,

necessary to depress the abutment disc to carry the notched flange thereof free of the anchorage lug 23, whereupon, as will be clear from Fig. 3, the abutment may be turned in either direction until the desired tension is obtained, the parts being then looked in this new adjustment by simply permitting the spring abutment to rise so that the shoulders provided by the notches therein come in proper engagement on the transverse key. When the spring abutment and key are engaged, as in Fig. 2, the spring abutment is firmly locked to the spindle and the spindle may therefore be turned for the purpose of testing the switch by simply using this disc-like member as a finger hold,

care being exercised in this operation not to disengage the abutment from the transverse key. I

The transverse key, it will be clear, serves to hold the rotatably adjustable spring abutment fastened to the spindle and the sprin abutment on the other hand serves to hold the key properly engaged on the This latter feature will be clear from Figs. 1 and 2 wherein it will be seen that the notched flange on the abutment member prevents outward shifting movement of the key, such as would free it from engagement with the spindle.

-As illustrating one of the possible modifications of the invention, I have shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the spring abutment made as a substantially flattened washer 24 having notches 25 in the edge thereof and. the anchorage key as a slide 26 provided with a key hole slot 27 by which it is engaged with the flattened portion of the spindle and with a down-turned end lug 28 adapted to fit into the notches in the edge of the abutment member. These parts are similar in operation to the parts first disclosed, it being evident that the spring abutment may be turned to'adjust the tension of the springafter it has been depressed to free it of the anchorage lug 28, it being clear furthermore that when the parts are engaged as in Fig. 5, the spring abutment will hold the locking key against such transverse movement as would free it from the spindle.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my invention provides an effective and simple means by which the spring may be readily adjusted and secured in adjusted relation at any time. The invention furthermore does not interfere in any way with the present construction of this switch. For instance, when desired an indicator dial may be applied by simply placing it on the spindle over the locking key, such a dial being indicated at 29 and as having downturned lugs 30 which take against the sides of the locking key 21, said dial being secured for instance by a nut 31.

I claim 1. In a rotary snap switch, a base, a spindle mounted on said base, a rotary switch piece on said spindle, latch mechanism for said switch piece, a spring acting on said switch piece, an abutment for said spring rotatably mounted on the spindle and a key for holding said spring abutment against rotation onthe spindle, said key being engageable with the spindle by a lateral movement thereon and said spring abutment having a shoulder co-operating with the key member to prevent lateral shifting movement of the key on the spindle.

- 2. A rotary: snap switch, comprising a base, a spindle mounted on said base, a romechanism for said rotary switch piece, a

, spring acting on the rotary switch piece, an

abutment for said spring rotatably mounte on the spindle and provided with a notched flange and a key fastened on the spindle and provided with a lug for engagement in the different notches in the spring abutment, said key member being engageable with the spindle by a transverse movement, and the flange of the abutment member being adapted to hold the key member against such transverse movement as would free it from the spindle.

4. In a rotary snap switch. a switch base, a spindle mounted on said base. a rotary switch piece on said spindle. latch mechanism for said rotary switch piece, a spring coiled about said spindle and having one end engaged for moving said rotary switch piece. an abutment mounted for rotation about said spindle and having the other end each other in the direction of the spindle,

gaged in the lateral groove whereby the key and abutment may be disengaged from each other for adjusting the tension of said spring.

In a rotary snap switch, a base, a stationary contact carried there iy, a spindle r0- tatably carried by the base, a switch member mounted on said spindle and rotatable with respect thereto, said spindle having a lateral groove exposed beyond said switch member. an abutment disc rotatably adjustable on said spindle. and having a plurality of notches. a helical spring connecting disc and said switch member, a key member enin said spindle and having a projecting lug adapted to engage in any one of the notches in the abutment disc, said spindle extending beyond said abutment disc and said key member to receive an operating turn-button. 6. In a rotary snap switch, a base, a spindle mounted on said base and projecting at substantially right angles thereto, a rotary switch piece on said spindle, latch mechanism for said rotary switch piece, a spring for acting on said switch piece and having one end engaged therewith, an abutment r0- tatably mounted on said spindle, andhaving the other end of said spring engaged therewith. a key member mounted on said spindle and non-rotatable with relation thereto when in oneposition, said key member and abutment having parts detachably engaged with each other for preventing rotation of said abutment on the spindle, said parts be ing freely accessible when the switch parts are assembled, whereby the abutment may be disengaged from the key member and manually rotated relatively to the spindle for adjusting the tension of said s rin CLARENCE n. P Afr. 

